EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Sunday marked the first day of action at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium as the University of Evansville softball team dropped a pair of games to Miami Ohio and Austin Peay.
Game 1 – Miami Ohio 11, UE 5
Scoring seven runs in the final two innings, Miam Ohio took an 11-5 win over the Purple Aces on Sunday afternoon.
After scoring a single run in the second inning, Miami added two more on an Allie Cummins home run in the top of the third. Evansville wasted little time in striking back, plating three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Taylor Howe led off with a single while Hannah Hood reached on a walk. With one out, Marah Wood doubled down the left field line to score Howe. Zoe Frossard followed with a 2-RBI single to tie the game. The RedHawks retook the lead in the top of the fourth on a solo shot from Holly Blaska.
UE had a chance to tie it up in the bottom half of the 4th, putting two runners on with two outs before a strikeout ended the threat. One inning later, Evansville’s persistence paid off when sacrifice flies by Jess Willsey and Brooke Voss gave the Aces a 5-4 lead. The inning saw UE put its first three runners on as Wood was hit by a pitch while Zoe Frossard and Nink followed with walks.
The dagger by the RedHawks came in the top of the 6th when they plated five runs to take a commanding 9-5 lead. They added two more runs to make the final score 11-5. Taylor Howe went 2-3 with a run while Wood was 2-3 with a double, two runs and a RBI. Mikayla Jolly was the starter for UE. She tossed four innings and allowed four earned runs. Megan Brenton went the final three frames and gave up seven runs, four being earned.
Madilyn Reeves threw four innings of relief to earn the win for MU. She gave up two runs on two hits while walking four batters.
Game 2 – Austin Peay 7, UE 1
Scoring four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh, Austin Peay rallied for a 7-1 win in Sunday’s finale.
After posting single hits in the first and second frames, UE erupted for a run in the third. With two outs, Zoe Frossard doubled to center and Jenna Nink brought her home with a single through the right side. The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Aces until the Governors came to life in the 6th.
A 4-run frame gave APSU its first lead with Kendyl Weinzapfel picking up a 2-run single. In the top of the seventh, Brie Howard hit a 3-run home run to extend the lead to 7-1. UE went down in order in the bottom half of the 7th as APSU clinched the win. The Governors picked up 16 hits in the game while holding the Aces to six. Jordan Bennefiel threw the complete game for the Governors and earned her third win of the season.
Abby Bode and Jenna NInk registered two hits apiece to lead UE. Elle Jarrett suffered the loss for Evansville. She scattered four runs and 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings. On Monday, the Aces complete the weekend tournament with a 12 p.m. contest against Miami Ohio.
